(ARA) - Flip through the fashion and holiday magazines this winter and there is one trend that is impossible to miss. The color pink is the new neutral for everything from designer watches and hand bags to cargo pants and trench coats -- all paired with pouty pink lips and manicured nails to match.

Whether bright and bold or soft and subtle, there is a pink that works for anybody, which is why designers and consumers alike have so eagerly embraced it. When incorporated into a wardrobe or a beauty routine, pink makes an eye-catching and fun statement that goes beyond looking good to feeling good.

Long associated with femininity, the connection between women and pink comes from a European legend that baby girls were said to be born in the hearts of pink roses. Legends aside, pink in its varying shades and hues, from tender blush to take-notice magenta, has an uncanny ability to be feminine, playful, and uplifting. With such positive connotations, many companies and magazines are using pink to catch women’s eyes in advertising campaigns and headlines this season.

One company that has understood the value of pink in marketing to women for much longer than just this season is Mary Kay Inc., which is celebrating its 40th year in business this year.

Company founder Mary Kay Ash, who passed away in 2001, founded her company as Beauty by Mary Kay in 1963 with nine independent beauty consultants. She selected pink as the distinctive signature color of her product packaging so they would stand out in the traditionally all-white bathrooms of the day.

What transpired was the creation of one of the most easily recognizable marketing symbols in the world. After Mary Kay Ash requested a local Cadillac dealer paint her car “Mountain Laurel” pink to match the company’s eye and lip palettes, everyone in the independent sales force instantly wanted one. Ash ingeniously crafted the career car program into one of the most coveted sales incentive prizes ever.

Four decades later, Mary Kay Inc. has updated product packaging to platinum and vibrant pink under the brand MK Signature and the company announced this year that it has one million independent beauty consultants in 34 markets worldwide.

In acknowledgement of the 40th anniversary and in honor of the company founder, Mary Kay Inc. has introduced a new fragrance called Tribute, which features notes of Pink Rose of Texas, Pink Grapefruit Tree Blossom, Cherry Blossom, Fairy Slipper Orchid, and Warm Amber Wood. Suggested retail, $40, Tribute is available through Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants. To locate one near you, call (800) MARY KAY (627-9529) or visit www.marykay.com.